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The ABA Coronavirus (COVID-19) Task Force

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This webpage is intended as a national source of information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the delivery of legal services. It includes resources on remote service delivery, court access and rules changes, legal needs, public benefits programs, and pro bono mobilization. We appreciate receiving new information for inclusion on the site, preferably links to dynamic content that is updated regularly. Please contact Denise Dempsey at denise.dempsey@americanbar.org with submissions for consideration.

In response to the growing legal needs of Americans arising from the coronavirus (COVID-19), the American Bar Association has created a nationwide task force of volunteer lawyers and judges from across the legal profession. The task force will identify the legal needs arising from the pandemic, make recommendations to address those needs, and help mobilize volunteer lawyers and legal professionals to assist people who need help.

BakerHostetler has established an online resource center to help address and answer legal questions about COVID-19, including actions business may or must take to address to protect employees and business operations.

National Association of Bar Executives has dedicated a resource page for bar professionals facing challenges in light of COVID-19.

The ABA’s Cybersecurity Legal Task Force has practice tools for remote work and legal needs. They have resources related to cybersecurity and data protection in the employer/workplace and teleworking, as well as information on data protection in the health industry.

Fastcase is working to ensure lawyers have access to resources available to them. The Fastcase COVID-19 resource hub, bringing together legislative and government updates and COVID-19 content across leading news media sources.

The ABA Committee on Disaster Response & Preparedness has resources for lawyers, bar associations and the justice system to help them prepare for and respond to disasters; provide resources to assist lawyers and the public recover from disasters; and ensure the rule of law in times of disaster.

Arnold & Porter has established a multidisciplinary Coronavirus Task Force with the crisis management, regulatory, litigation and transactional expertise necessary to plan for and navigate the legal and public policy impact of this pandemic.

Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP developed a resource page which includes dynamic information related to updates, alerts and programming regarding coronavirus and the impact on clients and various industries.

Standford Law School has a COVID-19 Memo Database, developed and maintained by the Rock Center for Corporate Governance at Stanford University and Cornerstone Research. The Database aggregates 5,260 memoranda in a searchable format designed to help users quickly identify relevant information. These memoranda were generated by leading U.S. law firms, the four major audit firms, and a leading insurance broker.

The Practising Law Institute (PLI) has a dedicated page on Coronavirus Developments which offers resources on the latest legal developments, changes to CLE requirements, PLI program updates and more.

National Affinity Bars COVID-19 Resources

Court Access and Rules Changes

The Justice in Government Project director Karen Lash recently spoke with Danielle Hirsch and Zach Zarnow of the National Center for State Courts about federal pass-through funds available to state and local courts navigating the COVID-19 crisis. Their discussion highlights a new Grants Matrix of curated state-administered federal funds (including block, formula, and open-ended reimbursement grants) that can support court technology innovations that are especially important during COVID-19, such as teleconferencing for remote hearings, document assembly tools, or self-help websites. Karen also walks through the first steps of the funding application process and gives helpful tips to consider when pursuing these opportunities. Watch the Tiny Chat here.

The Rhode Island Judiciary has launched a COVID-19 Business Recovery Program to assist businesses whose operations have been seriously disrupted by the pandemic. The program permits qualifying businesses that were current on their financial obligations as of January 15, 2020 to operate under non-liquidating receiverships.

The Judicial Division’s Gavel Talks is an audio and video library exploring best practices and judicial advice on topics of professional development for judges, lawyers and law students. Season Two of the podcast has focused on COVID-19 crisis and the effects on the courts.

Remote Notarization

The National Notary Association updates their site frequently on details about state emergency actions. Please note some emergency orders only cover documents to be filed in court and some do not allow remote witnessing.

Federal Administrative Agencies

Legal Needs

As part of the 21st Century Lawyers Virtual Sessions, the National Conference of Bar Presidents is checking in with bar leaders and industry professionals to see how they are providing services to their members in this trying time.

The ABA Commission on Disability Rights hosted two captioned webinars on the impact of COVID-19 on the legal rights of persons with disabilities focused on the discriminatory rationing of treatment and lack of special education services:

The National Health Law Program is dedicated to protecting and expanding access to health rights for low-income and underserved individuals. Their site provides an assortment of resources related to coronavirus.

The National Resource Center for Reaching Victims has resources to support victims of crimes in response to COVID-19. This site includes recordings from their national strategy sessions, webinars on critical topics and tip sheets.

Tribal Law and Policy Institute has launched an Indian Country resource page with information and resources concerning tribal, state and federal initiatives, best practices, and service provision strategies for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Declarations for Death Penalty Representation During COVID-19 (April 3, 2020)
The ABA Death Penalty Representation Project signed Declarations to address issues of inadequate defense of persons facing the death penalty during the pandemic. Read the Declarations here and here.

ABA Letter Regarding the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Memorandum (April 10, 2020)
Regarding Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) Director’s March 17 Memorandum granting limited waivers from some of the federal contract compliance requirements that would otherwise be applicable to contracts for Coronavirus relief efforts, ABA recognizes that in this time of national emergency, the federal government needs to move quickly to acquire life-saving necessary goods and services. Nonetheless, the ABA has repeatedly, for decades, supported affirmative action, and even in these trying times we urge the Department to remain steadfastly and visibly committed to affirmative action and equal opportunity for minorities, women, the disabled, and veterans. ​

ABA Legal Fact Check examines how COVID-19 is raising questions — and legal challenges — to employers’ actions related to keeping their workplace safe and to workers’ rights to seek reasonable accommodation under federal and state law.

The Legal Services Funders Network in the Bay Area of California is funding a minimum of 25 fellowships for 2020 graduates of Bay Area law firms to spend six months with legal services organizations. The initiative addresses increased legal needs relating to COVID-19 and reduced employment prospects for this year’s law school graduates.

Online legal assistance portals in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio show jump in traffic, increase in searches about unemployment and government benefits.

The Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice developed
a multi-part webinar series exploring how the COVID-19 pandemic highlights
critical legal issues of criminal justice, civil rights, human rights, and
economic concerns, to name a few.

Children, Youth and Families

Criminal Legal Issues and Fines and Fees

Fines & Fees Justice Center has recommended policies to assist jurisdictions across the country in dealing with COVID-19. The Center also maintains a COVID-19 Fines and Fees Policy Tracker, and policy recommendations for people in the criminal justice system.

ABA Support for H.R. 2868, the Ensuring Quality Access to Legal (EQUAL) Defense Act (February 27, 2020)
The ABA commends senators for their introduction of the Ensuring Quality Access to Legal (EQUAL) Defense Act in each chamber of Congress (S.1377 and H.R. 2868, respectively). The EQUAL Defense Act would help protect the constitutional rights of defendants who are unable to afford a lawyer, increase indigent defense representation in local and tribal public defense systems, and provide needed relief to the men and women providing public defense services every day.

Statement Re: Provisions for prisons and jails in COVID-19 economic stimulus package (March 27, 2020)
Prisons and jails are some of the highest-risk environments for the spread of COVID-19. The ABA is encouraged that the COVID-19 economic stimulus package approved by Congress includes provisions to allow prisons greater access to personal protective equipment and COVID-19 testing materials. The ABA is further encouraged by the bill’s provisions that expand use of home detention and electronic monitoring. The availability of these alternatives to incarceration should be considered particularly for individuals whose cases are still pending. The ABA is disappointed the bill fails to include provisions to increase access to release for older and infirm prisoners, but commends a separate action taken by the Department of Justice which directs federal prison authorities to identify elderly and medically compromised inmates for home confinement. The ABA also applauds state and local prosecutors, courts, law enforcement officers and corrections officers who are seeking practical alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent offenders, especially during this national emergency.

Consumer

The National Consumer Law Center has a list of resources on consumer protection and COVID-19.

Special alert for VA, SSI recipients who don’t file a tax return and have dependents.

This fact sheet from the Social Security Administration provides more information on how individuals who receive SSI and Social Security benefits will receive stimulus payments and any additional actions they need to take.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, guardians for older adults and adults with disabilities may have questions about fulfilling their duties and staying connected to people they represent. Guardianship experts, including the National Guardianship Association, ABA Commission on Law and Aging, and the National Center for State Courts, have created a FAQ document with answers, actionable tips, and links to key resources.

To better understand the steps states have taken to prevent homelessness during and after the pandemic, the Eviction Lab and Columbia Law School’s Professor Emily Benfer have developed a policy scorecard for each state, distilling the contents of thousands of newly-released emergency orders, declarations, and legislation into a clear set of critical measures included in, and left out of, state-level pandemic responses related to eviction and housing.

HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing Programs (Multifamily) posted a two-page explanation of the CARES Act eviction moratorium. It is designed for residents who have HUD-funded rental assistance and/or live in an FHA-insured property.

HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) has issued “Relief for HUD Section 108 Borrowers Impacted by Coronavirus” guidance that has the potential to reduce the amount of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds that a jurisdiction uses to address housing needs in the community without public participation in the decision making.

A New NCLC Digital Library article explains new protections for homeowners having difficulty making mortgage payments—both those covered by the CARES Act and the millions who are not.

Immigration

ABA Urges EOIR and ICE to Protect Individuals Working In and Appearing Before Immigration Courts (March 25, 2020)
ABA letter to the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) called for several steps to further protect the health and safety of individuals working in and appearing before the immigration courts that remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ABA believes that additional, uniform measures are necessary to ensure the protection of individuals, while preserving non-citizen respondents’ access to legal representation and legal information.

The Federal Reserve's significant reduction in interest rates is reducing Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts, a significant source of funding for legal aid programs across the United States. This reduction may be compounded by reduction in revenue from court filing fees, another source of funding for legal aid programs in many states, as courts limit their operations as a result of the coronavirus. Law360 has this item on these developments.

ABA Requests Additional Emergency LSC Funding to Address Pandemic (April 8, 2020)
ABA thanked leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees for including $50 million of emergency funding for the Legal Service Corporation in the CARES Act of 2020, which was 50% of the $100 million that LSC originally requested. The letter also asked the committee leaders to include the remaining $50 million in the next stimulus bill to help address the "tidal wave" of low-income Americans needing legal assistance due to the dramatic spike of evictions, foreclosures, domestic violence, family law issues, and other legal problems caused by the pandemic.

The Justice in Government Project and NLADA have created a new resource that provides information about COVID-19 related appropriations, law, and agency guidance that can help support legal aid providers and courts. It contains information on non-LSC federal funding sources including:

As a response to the COVID-19 crisis, the CARES Act directs the IRS to issue Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) to eligible individuals, married couples, and families with children. The American Bar Association Tax Section offers information to help promote the availability of these payments, especially for those who assist lower-income clients, non-filers, and other vulnerable populations, and to warn against scams. Please see the ABA Tax Section’s information at https://bit.ly/2WmVgsI and share widely with your colleagues and networks.

FEMA announced approval of 30 states and the District of Columbia for its Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training program. Crisis Counseling, part of FEMA’s Individual Assistance programs, is a mental health assistance program that provides short-term interventions, intake, and referral mental health services for disaster survivors.

Under NJ Court Order, pro bono work by out-of-state counsel, including in-house counsel, is another measure to minimize disruption and allow access to the state’s court and legal system during the health crisis.

COVID-19 Pro Bono Support Needs Project – A loosely organized group of law students, paralegals, and paralegal students are providing pro bono support for attorneys working on client matters related to COVID-19. The project is not affiliated with any university or larger organization.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Legal Media/News

Thomson Reuters provides coverage on the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as well as comprehensive reports as countries across the globe tighten restrictions. Additionally, they are providing support to businesses and assist in navigating this complicated and ever-changing environment. Thomson Reuters is providing free resources created by their legal and tax experts.

Council of State Governments Website

The Council of State Governments has collected Executive Orders relating to COVID-19 and organized them by state and subject matter.

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